Shared access of LM and SEM

We recommend that light microscope and electron microscope workstations have shared access to the TCA archive using ZEN Data Storage. Otherwise the file transfer of the particle selection list must be done by USB stick or comparable.

The correlative workflow requires ZEISS hardware, software, and a correlative filter holder:

  1. A suitable ZEISS Light Microscope (LM) for particle detection, analysis and type classification.
  2. A suitable ZEISS Electron Microscope (EM) with EDS detector for material classification of selected particles which are considered to be potentially critical.
  3. A ZEISS correlative filter holder with L-marker as base for LM-EM coordinate transformation.
  4. Mandatory software for the correlative LM-analysis:
    • ZEN core
    • ZEN core Technical Cleanliness Analysis
    • Connect Toolkit
  5. Mandatory software for the correlative EM/EDS analysis:
    • SmartPI
    • ZEN core
    • Connect Toolkit

ZEN core Technical Cleanliness Analysis provides two dedicated job templates for Correlative TCA LM-analysis:

  • Component Cleanliness Testing with S&F
  • Oil Cleanliness Testing with S&F

The correlative job template offers an additional step for the holder calibration and two options for the selection of particles for EDS analysis:

  • Selection of certain particle size classes via the Standard Template Editor, see Standard Template Editor.
  • Selection of individual particles via the in the particle gallery of the Size Distribution View, see Size Distribution View.

The correlative workflow starts with the LM analysis as described for Technical Cleanliness Analysis (TCA). The main differences are related to the correlative workflow, see Correlative Workflows.

After running the correlative LM Job template, all selected particles for EDS analysis are stored with their x, y-stage coordinates and the coordinates of the L-marker in the Particle Selection EDS file in the archive.

The EM/EDS analysis is conducted with SmartPI and operates in parallel the Free Mode of ZEN core. The S&F Find (list) tool is used to retrieve the selection of particles from the Particle Selection EDS file of the LM-analysis, see S&F Find (List) Tool.